Nutrition
Pineapple is a nutritious food, providing 131 percent of the daily value for vitamin C and 77 percent of the DV for manganese in each cup of fresh cubed pineapple. The juice isn’t quite as nutritious, as it doesn’t provide fiber and only has 42 percent of the DV for vitamin C per cup.
Description
After consuming pineapple, you may experience unpleasant feelings in your mouth, including burning, rawness, numbness, stinging or even bleeding on your lips, tongue or cheeks. These symptoms occur immediately after eating fresh pineapple flesh or pineapple core, and will generally subside without the need for medication or other treatments.
Causes
Pineapple contains a group of enzymes called bromelain, which breaks down the proteins in meat and flesh – including your own mouth.Pineapple is the only natural source of the enzyme, according to The University of Melbourne. Bromelain works by removing the molecules on the surface of cells, essentially digesting them. Although this makes bromelain useful for tenderizing meat, it can also cause pineapple to leave your mouth feeling raw and numb. Bromelain begins to break down the proteins on the surface of your lips, tongue and cheeks when it makes contact with these areas.
Reducing the side effect of bromelain
Although fresh pineapple always contains the bromelain responsible for mouth numbness, you can reduce unpleasant effects by ensuring your pineapple is fully ripened before eating it. Look for pineapples with a strong aroma and golden color. If the pineapple still has green coloration on its peel, stand it upside-down with the leafy end on the counter for several days until it turns yellow or golden, indicating ripeness. Also most of the enzyme is located in the stem of the fruit, and you may be able to minimize the effects of the enzyme in your mouth by cutting out the core of the pineapple before you eat it. Because the canning process deactivates the bromelain enzyme, eating canned pineapple is less likely to cause mouth problems than fresh pineapple. In addition, consuming fresh pineapple in moderation rather than eating large amounts in one sitting may help prevent mouth numbness.
Pineapple Allergies
Although it isn’t common, some people are allergic to pineapple and experience an allergic reaction with symptoms that may include hives, shortness of breath, dizziness, stomach cramps or swelling of the mouth, throat and tongue. If you’re allergic to carrot, grass pollen, fennel, celery or wheat, you may be more likely to be allergic to pineapple as well.
When eating pineapple, people with allergies to honeybees, celery, cypress pollen and olive tree pollen may experience a cross-reaction that causes their mouth and lips to itch temporarily. It’s best to avoid pineapple entirely if you experience these types of reactions.
Source: http://www.livestrong.com/